The Forward Day by Day Meditation for February 11, 2016

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THURSDAY, February 11

John 17:1Glorify your Son so that the Son may
glorify you.

Years ago, I asked a priest how I could use my faith to help inform a difficult career decision. The priest advised me to figure out what the world would want and then do the opposite. I never knew quite how to interpret that advice.

Christians are supposed to live according to Christian principles, which have been presented as distinctly separate from the world’s since the Church began. But Christian values these days differ wildly from Christian to Christian, while non-Christians often have much to offer Christianity. Consider the Buddhist meditation techniques that many Christians have adapted for prayer, for example. Does the Buddhist who helps me to pray count as part of the world? What about the Christian whose values clash profoundly with my own?

I don’t know where to draw the line between myself and the world, or whether I should try to draw one. I just try to define Christian values as honestly as possible, using sources I respect, and then I hang on.